


Powdered Sugar Snow

by kuroeko



Category: Inazuma Eleven
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, they're both adults and pro soccer players
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:42:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27970211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuroeko/pseuds/kuroeko
Summary: A long-awaited Christmas date, with an impromptu little soccer match right in between!
Relationships: Endou Mamoru/Rococo Urupa
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Powdered Sugar Snow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Enkidudu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enkidudu/gifts).



> Merry Christmas to my dear friend whom this fic is for! I wrote something that I hope you'll enjoy, with lots of little elements thrown in here and there between all the times we've discussed this ship amongst ourselves :) I hope you have a great day and thank you for being there to listen to me talk about afufubu all the time, and being the wonderful beta that you have been for my works!  
> \---  
> Also this fic has no beta because what does one do when you're writing a gift FOR your beta. Now everyone gets to read my raw unchecked writing.  
> The masks have nothing to do with COVID. This is a COVID free AU :,^)

Light snow fell from the dimming sky as groups of people crowded through the evening streets. Holiday cheer filled the air, each store lining the narrow street having put in the effort to decorate appropriately for the season. Sparkling tinsel of gold, red, and green wound about anything that could support it. Glittering ornaments bobbed from several pine boughs or overhangs, reflecting the passerby below. The most telling decorations, though, were the strings of Christmas lights that had been wound about the trees that lined this shopping street. Twinkling with a uniform golden glow, just their presence warmed up the chilly air around them as last-minute shoppers darted to and fro. 

A certain well-built man was lounging suspiciously at one of the glowing trees, wearing both a leopard-print patterned cloth mask and sunglasses despite it being evening already. Pulling out his phone from within his bold navy and red striped down jacket, he checked the time, then sighed and looked around again for the person he was waiting for. Having come from a country much closer to the equator than here, he’d bundled up twice as much as normal after anticipating for a long wait. He reached up and pulled down the black knit beanie covering most of his dark blue hair, trying to hide who he was. Hopefully just the jacket would be enough for someone familiar to spot him from a distance, but a part of him still worried that his disguise was far too good for even his husband….

“Rococo! There you are!” A booming voice called out to him from behind the tree, and a familiar hand clasped his shoulder before he even saw the speaker. Bright eyes that reflected the glowing Christmas lights greeted him, along with the force of a smile that couldn’t be stopped even by a flimsy white mask.

“Endou!” Rococo tried to keep down his response, having hastily looked around to check that no one had registered who he was after the loud greeting earlier. Luckily, none of the passerby had stopped, and some even seemed to be giving them a wide berth. Two masked men in puffy down jackets loitering under a tree...well, he didn’t blame them. 

“I’m glad you found me,” he quickly spoke, catching Endou’s calloused hands and seeing how cold they were. “Let’s go to the restaurant and pick up our order. I called earlier so it should be ready when we arrive.” He took a minute to take in his husband, noting how a white beanie had been haphazardly thrown on to try and hide the telltale orange headband. Endou was wearing a blue and yellow down jacket, and those that were more soccer-savvy would be able to tell that it was his professional team’s training clothes. 

“Yes!! You’re always so prepared, Rococo,” Endou grasped his hand and they began walking towards their favorite restaurant in this town. One that they’d each separately gone to before when traveling through and told each other about, but never together. It had been a rare stroke of luck that they’d both happened to be in the same town for Christmas Eve, able to finally spend this special day with each other. 

“I ordered both of our favorite dishes at that restaurant, and there’s a bakery right next to it as well. Let’s pick up one of those log cakes for Christmas.” Rococo inwardly wondered if they’d be able to finish it all, but considering they were both professional athletes, appetite shouldn’t be a problem. For one special day, he could let go for a bit and eat whatever he liked. Hand in hand, they headed through the crowded streets, Rococo appreciating how in this foreign country they were just normal pedestrians mingling within the crowd. Endou’s broad shoulders never left his focus, and he smiled at how much his fellow soccer player had grown over the years. They stopped in front of the bakery he’d mentioned that had cakes galore displayed within the glass cases beyond decorated windows. 

“Oh look! There’s one last log cake!” Endou pointed out the defining cake for the holidays, this one shaped like a fallen log with a heap of red and white icing poinsettias and a dusting of gold topped off with a small santa statue. 

“Let’s get that one, before anyone else buys it!” Not even waiting for a reply, the excited goalkeeper pulled open the bakery door and beelined for the counter. 

“Endou, wait, ah!” Laughing, Rococo followed along, basking in the warmth of the little bakery. Scents of sugar and hazelnut lingered in the air, the bakers in the back working hard to meet the increased holiday demand. As Endou ordered the cake, he looked around to see if there was anything else to buy as well. Most of the shelves were cleared out of goods, seeing as it was Christmas Eve and most people had purchased them for their own celebrations at home. 

“Here we go, they even wrapped it nicely for us!” A red and white patterned paper bag was shoved into his field of vision. Rococo appreciated the gold ribbon that had been used to tie the handles together, hopefully keeping off some of the falling snow later on their walk back together. 

“How nice! Let’s hurry and pick up the food I ordered, then we can head back to the hotel.” Pushing the bakery door open, Rococo braced himself for the brief window of cold right before they entered the next door restaurant. His hand nearly separated from Endou’s upon entering the crowded restaurant lobby, but he held tight to his love and dragged him up to the front desk. 

“Excuse me, I ordered ahead for pickup at this hour.” Rococo got the attention of the head waiter, who recognized him from his last visit. 

“Oh, wait right here, I’ll get your order for you.” The waiter ushered them into a more secluded corner near the front, then disappeared to quickly enter the kitchen and retrieve their order. Rococo gave a small sigh of relief upon picking it up and paying for it with only a hastily exchanged “Merry Christmas!”. If people got wind of the fact that not one but two famous soccer players were milling around here, they’d never be able to make it back to their hotel on time. 

“I think the snow’s letting up!” Endou announced as they braved the cold back out into the slowly emptying streets. The sky was nearly dark now, the glow of Christmas lights growing brighter by the hour. Rococo’s hotel was closer to the shopping street, so they’d be heading there for the night. Endou wished he could take their masks off outside, to see Rococo’s smile, but it was still too busy and crowded here to do so. 

“You’re right,” Rococo replied as he glanced up at the sky, then decided to at least take off his sunglasses. Few people were on the side streets now as they headed through the residential area. The glow of all the high rise windows, however, showed that everyone was going through their own celebrations inside. 

“Ah, finally, I get to see you!” Endou joked as he reached up and took off his own mask. There weren’t enough people out now for him to really care about being spotted, and he grinned as Rococo did the same. Reaching out to clasp their hands together again, Endou swung them and hummed to himself as they turned another corner. Just as he looked up to comment on how his day had gone, he spotted a chain linked fence that wrapped around a-

“SOCCER FIELD!” He shouted, sprinting forward without letting go of Rococo and dragging his unwitting husband with him towards the inviting green. Flickering yellow street lamps stood along each corner, dimly lighting up the grassy field. Even in the muted darkness, it was easy to make out the white stripes that delineated the boundaries. Rococo set his bag of takeout to the side, already knowing what was going to happen next with this soccer freak. 

“Rococo, let’s play soccer!” Endou grinned over at him as he beheld the soccer field, the snow having piled up on the side but mostly melting into slush that wouldn’t interfere with the turf. 

“That’s fine and all, love, but how are we going to play soccer without a ball?” Just as he said that, his eyes caught on a forlorn round object that was lodged in a pile of snow slush on the side. Reaching over, he pulled out a dirty soccer ball with his hands, having to let go of Endou’s hand just to catch the slippery object. 

“Well look at that, a Christmas miracle!”

Endou laughed at Rococo’s proclamation, then put down the cake bag and sprinted over to the goalkeeper’s net. He clapped his palms together, then crouched slightly and spread out his arms. 

“Come at me, Rococo Urupa!” There was a competitive glint in his eyes, as he hadn’t forgotten that Rococo had played as a forward before. His husband easily took up the challenge, placing the ball down and testing it with one foot before beginning to dribble it across the field towards him. Even on a day off, he still found it refreshing to play soccer, especially against his best rival. A familiar movement caught Endou’s eye, as Rococo kicked up the ball with his heel and caught it between his legs.

_Oh, here it comes!_ Endou readied himself, digging his own heels further into the ground and puffing out his chest.

“X blast!” Rococo finished his midair flip and kicked the ball with his heels as it began to glow red in the night. An X-shaped red mark appeared in the air from it as it blasted off towards the goal where Endou was eagerly waiting. 

“God Catch!” Endou countered, raising up his palms together as a golden caped figure rose up from behind him. He faced the brunt of his adult rival’s power, the two hissatsus slamming into each other in a bid for the goal. Digging his heels in even further, sweat beaded on his face and his beanie slipped off from the impact through his palm. Gold and red light flashed from the corner of the soccer field, attracting the attention of a lone policeman patrolling the deserted residential streets. 

“Hey! What’s going on over there?!” Waving his flashlight in the air, he called over at the unusual sight. Two adults and a large golden figure with flashing lights on Christmas Eve..?!

“Oh no!” Rococo’s focus slipped from the impromptu soccer match, and he realized the ridiculous situation they were caught in.

“Endou! We gotta go!” Landing on his feet, he called over to his husband. 

“What? Oh!” Endou caught sight of the approaching policeman just as the ball ruptured against his palm. An old soccer ball indeed, it couldn’t withstand the impact of two world class soccer player hissatsus and had finally given out. The two childish adults ran towards the soccer field exit, picking up their belongings as they went. Athletes to the core, they quickly outran the lone policeman and finally slowed down their pace as the brightly lit hotel came into view. 

Christmas lights decorated nearly every available surface on the front of the hotel, with a gorgeous Christmas tree spiraling out of the middle of the lobby. Both of them were slightly out of breath from all the impromptu exercise, but full of smiles and cheer as they headed towards the elevators. 

“That’s nice isn’t it?” Rococo asked between breaths as they waited for the elevator to arrive. He eyed the Christmas tree that seemed more tinsel and ornaments than pine. One day, if they were at home together during Christmas, he’d like to decorate a tree with Endou….

“Yeah! I should take a picture of it, maybe send it to everyone and wish them Merry Christmas.” Endou began to dig around his pockets, but the elevator arrived before he could fully retrieve his phone. 

“Agh! Maybe I’ll just send them a picture of the cake.” He stepped in while pocketing his phone again, then leaned against Rococo’s side as they were finally alone. His husband seemed to feel the same, as a quick kiss was exchanged right before the doors slid open.

“I think that’ll do, just hearing from you would cheer everyone up.” Rococo fished out his key card, then swiped it with practiced ease and held open the door for his husband. Bulky outdoor clothes were shed and draped on the side to dry while Rococo busied himself with getting himself ready and the furniture together to share a meal. 

“Oh Endou, your beanie!” Rococo had taken off his own and was holding it out upon realizing that Endou’s matching one was gone. 

“Ah! I must’ve lost it back at the soccer field.” The easygoing goalkeeper reached up and ruffled his russet head of hair, then dug a thumb under his headband to check that at least that was still there.

“That was fun, though, we should try and schedule a friendly between our teams. It’s been a while since I felt your full power!” Rococo smiled in response, happy to spend whatever time he could with his husband, especially if it involved soccer.

“Wouldn’t that be nice, I’m sure everyone would love to see you again as well. The last time we all got together was at our wedding years ago!” He finished pulling together all the furniture, then went to get some drinks from the fridge just as Endou began to pull out their dinner.

“This looks delicious! And it’s not _too_ cold yet” Endou remarked as he unboxed their takeout, feeling around the side for any trace of leftover warmth. 

“We can pop it in the microwave to warm it up.” Rococo replied, leaning over and placing a hand over the box to check for himself. Endou’s eyes caught on the metal glint of the necklace they shared against his husband's collarbone. Neither of them wore their rings on their hands, but instead on a necklace that rested against the chest. 

_It’ll be safer this way, at less risk of being hit by a soccer ball._ Rococo had softly remarked back when they’d exchanged rings. 

“I think it’ll be fine, and I’m starving!” Endou reached over and wrapped a hand around his husband’s waist, pulling him down to sit on the couch with him. They’d pulled up the coffee table to use as a makeshift dining table and sat the meal down on it. 

“Didn’t you say you wanted to send a photo to everyone first?” Rococo stopped Endou’s fork, knowing his husband would slightly pout later if he missed a chance to show off their happy married life. 

“I meant the cake, but you’re right, I should do it all at once!” Placing down his fork, Endou got up and carefully took the cake box out of the bag. Snuggling back onto the couch with Rococo at his side, he undid the red ribbon that held it tight and opened it up to...a smushed log cake. The brown icing had stuck to the side, red and white poinsettias mixing into candy cane stripes that streaked against the cardboard box. The little santa that had come with the cake now rolled at an awkward angle in one forlorn corner. His husband snorted with laughter upon seeing this unexpected sight, realizing that their haphazard run from the nighttime policeman with bags in hand most likely contributed to this squished scenario. 

“Maybe I’ll just take a photo of our meal.” Endou decided, closing the box back up and placing it all to the side to eat later. Even if it wasn’t photogenic, it would still be delicious. Leaning into Rococo’s arms, he snapped a photo of their meal, then changed the camera to take a photo together. It wasn’t everyday that they were able to just physically relax next to each other, and he wanted to cherish every moment he could. A few quick taps had him sending out the newly taken photos to all his close friends, each of whom had already started sharing Christmas photos from their respective timezones.

“Everyone’s all scattered now, huh.” Rococo observed, seeing how Aphrodi had already sent a Christmas Eve dinner photo with a gently smiling Fubuki in the background 8 hours ago. The window in that photo was dark with some built up snow against it, as Japan was ahead of their current timezone. 

“Well, we’re all pros at what we chose to do now! And some of it involves quiteeeee a bit of travel,” his husband replied with a grin, putting his phone down to focus on spending quality time together. “But I don’t regret it, since I love both you and soccer!”

“That’s true, and I love you for that, Endou.” Rococo leaned over to gift the love of his life a soft kiss. Then the two of them broke apart and laughed and smiled at each other before starting on their Christmas dinner. All alone in a cozy hotel room with one another, it was a perfect Christmas Eve indeed. 


End file.
